Kirobsi

Rise is a 2020 album by Galia Social which I goddamn fucking love, and is about a man rising to power for,, less than altruistic reasons. The guy just wants to start a little indie authoritarian dictatorship or whatever, something similar to that anyway, so he lies and manipulates and dogwhistles his way to power to enact whatever horrid things he has in mind.

Naturally then, I am here to present Rise as a trans allegory, someone trying to become a better person by helping others and being more honest about themselves in spite of unreasonable opposition. It’s pretty much the polar opposite of what Rise is actually conveying, but I think that crippling irony within the very premise just makes it better. It’s utterly absurd, it is arguably the 'least' correct way to view the album, and that makes it very funny to me.

And of course, before I start going through the album song by song and lyric by lyric, you should listen to it yourself.

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Introduction

Before I get into the reading, I'd like to explain why I came up with this in the first place.

In the final track Rise, there are these lyrics:

Darkest days are gone / Night becomes the dawn / Paint your pages white / Too late to be undone

If you followed the link to the album above and scroll to the comments, you'll see that I've had my own comment highlighted. In that, I explain that there's a great catharsis in that excerpt due to some of my life's circumstances. To elaborate slightly, it matches up incredibly well with a scenario in which I'm expected to be respectful of and loyal to certain people due to societal norms, yet I've been given nothing but reasons to evade them in any way possible. I'll get into specifics of this reading later, it works very well under the trans reading at large, but I wanted to point this out first. This idea stemmed from the actual personal significance that lyric holds for me - by extension, while this is something of a joke reading, I think for the right person there's some real power to be taken from this album's content.

Anyway-- due to the nature of the album I do have to just completely ignore certain lyrics because their original purpose shines through too much. I will list them when relevant. Also, you can find the lyrics on the album's bandcamp page!

Follow

This one can be read as the protagonist’s egg first being cracked. Galia learns what a ‘trans’ is, connects it to his feelings regarding his gender, and begins to imagine how it would feel to be a man instead of the woman everyone expects him to be. The first few lyrics are pretty self-explanatory from this lens:

If I only use my mind / I could build a brand new life / And be a hero in the crowd

Here he's stating that as long as he follows his feelings, if he accepts his gender identity, then he could start anew and do far better than he ever had prior. He fantasizes about how awe-inspiring that journey could be.

I could open up their eyes / Show them what it would be like / To see the vision upside down

The 'vision' in question is the strict gender roles and expectations placed upon everyone by society. Galia aims to show them a world where someone can defy that and that it’s perfectly okay to be that way, despite what the status quo may suggest. Perhaps he could even convince a few transphobes along the way that being transgender isn't a bad thing!

All I need is praise and trust / They would put their faith in us / The Angels, they would guide us out

Here, Galia says a pretty obvious statement in that he needs a good support group to actually go through with this. Shocking. He then suggests that established LGBT people, especially trans people, would be key in making this transition possible - in addition to that of many other people. He shifts to using "us" here to recognize the many other trans youth who may need that guidance from trans elders, the latter being referred to as "Angels," in order to escape their miserable existence as the wrong gender, or perhaps broader, the discrimination they may face at the hands of transphobes in unsuitable communities.

I've been dreaming lately

This should be self-explanatory; Galia is just dreaming about the life that could be, living comfortably as the man he is.

One by one I’ll lead the blind / To the kingdom throne where / I will work the wonders of the crown

I see this as Galia claiming he'll prove the glory he could achieve through transition if only he had the opportunity. He'd begin using the privilege and resulting stability of his desired identity to aid others. "The blind" can be read as referring to transphobes.

I will throw into the street / Treasures lost and luxuries, / And fortune always would be found

This is the same, emphasizing the value that Galia could provide others - material and otherwise - if only he were allowed to be happy with himself. I also read it as being aimed towards other trans people specifically! Offering them the same luxuries and fortune that he himself had partially relied on his own elders to acquire. He wants to extend that hand to new youth when the time comes.

Colors

This one marks a perspective shift: we're no longer hearing the thoughts and inner monologue of Galia, we're hearing the words of those close to him - family, some of his friends, perhaps others - offering rhetoric to dissuade Galia from pursuing his identity. I'll refer to this disembodied voice of rhetoric with bolded female pronouns for an easy ambiguous distinction, though its choice has no relevance for the reading.

Flashing Lights / Attract them inside

I see this as Her trying to convince Galia that the prospect of being transgender is false, it's designed to lure impressionable youth in with a fantastical, impossible idea in order to impart malicious ideals upon them, or take advantage of them, etc. The whole "trans people are groomers" thing, in some form. She then attempts to emphasize that Galia is part of a different group than 'alphabet people' or whatever, the good group:

We gather here tonight / For a celebration

I read the "celebration" as being about gender as biological sex, trying to sing the praises of the body that one is given. Perhaps trying to gaslight Galia into thinking that his issues with his body are just small annoyances that he'll eventually get over, ones which everyone experiences, rather than a real fundamental problem. She's trying to force a pride on Galia that just isn't there.

Reputation will be safe [...]

Here, She lets a little bit of Her true intentions slip: this isn't about happiness, it's about conformity. It's about not letting Galia become "the other." It's a threat: if Galia stops pursuing transition, he'll be accepted just fine. His reputation will be unaffected. If he chooses to continue, he will not be supported or accepted. He'll lose all those relationships, the ones that are ostensibly important to him.

[...] as I / Help your true colors shine / And the gray you will leave behind

Again trying to gaslight Galia into thinking that transgenderism is a farce, saying that he'll be happier if he just stays as a woman - framed as his "true colours." She'll help him stay on that path, he just needs to accept Her oh-so-gracious offer.

We all lie, I won't judge you 'cause so do I / Realize everyone has a different vice

Here, She is attempting to portray Galia's gender identity as though he's lying to himself, trying to chase some illogical escapism. It's a statement offered as though it's compassionate, but it's deliberately undermining his self-confidence and security. It's not that he could actually be onto something, no no no, this is just a vice of his, a fantasy that he's too caught up in.

Live the life and pay no mind to the warning signs

This one speaks for itself lol, even in the album's intended message it's pretty blunt

Cameras blind / The scenes of your life / They play but won't rewind / Then the movie's over

She's condemning the technology that Galia is making use of to connect with and learn about other trans people and their experiences. The idea is that Galia's mind is being corrupted by these things, and if he only realized that and got away he could be saved. If he continues these thoughts, if he pursues transition, he'll never be able to undo it. She wants to suggest that he'll regret it forever, that he'll inevitably understand the innate issue in being trans and it'll be crushing if it's too late. He should realize that now, before he does anything irreversible. Before he dies as a 'sad excuse for a man.'

Luxuries of life are waiting / The future is fading

More urgently now, She's attempting to get him to concede that happier days will come, if only Galia would stop his delusional fantasies and stayed on a good path. His future of happiness is contingent on him living as a woman, else he's throwing away a wonderful opportunity for no reason.

(Let your colors shine) Fall into your line / (Let your colors shine) Sacrifice [...]

This is just an illustration of the inherent contradiction that is telling someone to "be themselves" when your idea of being themselves is to be whatever you want them to be. "Let your colours shine," She preaches, as she pushes Galia into a rigid way of life. A miserable one that could've been evaded had he just accepted Her for the abuser She is.

I'll be waiting for a sign

This is Her claiming surveillance, essentially. The amount of times it's repeated, and the way it overlaps as it's sung, could be read as being representative of Her true nature as a group of people and influence, rather than a single individual. A collective dedicated to weeding out unacceptable individuality. The song ends with a fairly clear message, if Galia chooses to stay:

You are mine

Aim

Back to Galia's perspective, we see him think on his new connections with fellow trans people.

With you all beside me / I don't feel any pain / Your faith is a shield / To my name

Galia has found emotional security in having a supportive community. Knowing that they're there for him, and that his feelings and desires aren't misguided or invalid, the hatred he's subjected to no longer affects him as much.

Stand when they defy me / Show you're not afraid / When you feel the energy / You wait

This is Galia considering a strategy to deal with transphobes: to show that as long as the group bands together, they can demonstrate to transphobes that they aren't afraid. They'll push through the hatred and they will exist on the other side. They just need to be unwavering, to show courage in the face of opposition so as not to display exploitable vulnerability.

And as their fear starts to show / We will be in control

More of the same! Just Galia predicting that, if trans people and their allies show the aforementioned courage long enough and strongly enough, it'll intimidate the transphobes who so desperately want to suppress them. They need to overtake the hatred embedded into society by not backing down.

Let it into your soul and out of your mind

Now in the chorus(?), we shift to Galia addressing cis people, or those a bit ignorant of LGBT experiences. I see this line in particular as addressing those who may want to accept trans people, but have trouble doing so. It's a suggestion to stop trying to reason out why trans people are trans, or thinking of them in the strict terms that society instills in us - rather, they should bypass that arbitrary need for logic altogether. Gender isn't a logical thing, it's just Vibes, so to think of it as though it must follow some kind of reason is counterproductive. At least, it was in my case, I used to think like that a few years ago... Thus: let it into your soul. Just go along with it. Take people's word for it. You don't need to understand it. You can ask, you can try to learn some stuff, but that should be out of interest rather than perceived necessity. Your understanding literally doesn't matter as far as the validity of identities goes, even if it can be an interesting thing to learn about. So ye, I see this as that kind of sentiment lol

The fire it will burn in the night / The end of a road, a new paradigm / The fire will burn inside

This is just about the cultural paradigm shift any trans person wishes for. It's time to shift common perception of transgenderism away from discomfort and fear. That'll take some force (the 'fire'), unfortunately, but it has to be done.

You and I / We will find our way to paradise / And all that is yours will be mine

A hopeful declaration that trans people like Galia can healthily coexist with cis people, so long as they can mutually accept it. All the privileges they enjoy shall be extended to marginalized groups, in general (Galia's clearly in some radical spaces beyond just trans stuff lol) but particularly for gender non-conforming goobers.

hi. below here is a list of omitted lyrics from the document I wrote in august. I've just kept it down here unedited because uhh, I dunno might as well keep it. You've reached the end of the stuff I've actually written though.

From Aim: “When you feel the energy / you wait”

“And as their fear starts to show / we will be in control”

“They’ll never know the end / at our hands they will fold / we will be in control”

“You will find a reason when your walls come down”

From Victory: “And now they bow to me”

“They’re in motion moving at my command”

“(All I did was use my mind / made my move and led the blind / I am a God above you now / I have all your praise and trust / taught you to believe in us / I am a God above you now)”

From Rise: “There is no other one who will love you / and lead you the way out”

“Divide your soul / and let me take all control”